US Open Golf 2012: 25 Greatest Performances in Tournament History

As the US Open is almost always the toughest tournament in the world during a given year, anyone who has won it turned in a great performance that week. Still some stand above others. We're here to separate the great performances from the truly elite ones.

There are only two rules for this list.

One is that you had to have won the tournament. Yes, there have been plenty of great performances that came in non-wins. Still, there have been 111 US Opens in history, and we're only naming 25 here. So, 86 champions are getting no love, which is hard enough. There is no way to include anyone else.

The other rule is that I cut it off at two performances per player. There was no way to keep some of the greats from appearing more than once, but the intent here is not just to show love to the likes of Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. You will read about them all, but plenty of other great performances need mention.

25. Geoff Ogilvy, 2006

Ogilvy will never get enough credit for this win, as Mickelson and Montgomerie made a double-bogey on the 18th hole when a par would have won. Furyk missed a five-foot putt on the 18th hole that would have been good enough for a playoff.

But making a par on the final hole of a US Open is not an easy accomplishment, nor is a bogey. Ogilvy finished the 2006 US Open in incredibly clutch fashion, keeping the pressure on everyone else, holing a par chip on 17 and grinding out a par on 18.

He was the last man standing in one of the tougher US Opens ever played. The more well known highlights come from other players collapsing, but Ogilvy's clutch play put the pressure on them.

24. Fuzzy Zoeller, 1984

While Greg Norman did shoot an unspectacular 75 in the 18-hole playoff, Zoeller fired the round of the tournament with a spectacular 67.

In a playoff, a very easy case could be made that one directly caused the other. Zoeller got off to a good start, taking an early lead. That made Norman press, which compounded the damage.

Firing a 67 at a course like Winged Foot with the pressure of an 18-hole US Open playoff is spectacular. It fails to reach the iconic status of another Winged Foot playoff blowout that we'll get to later, but Zoeller played as well as anyone could play in a playoff.

Winged Foot is routinely one of the toughest US Open courses, and Zoeller played it masterfully against one of the best players of that generation. He's easily worthy of being on this list.

23. Lee Janzen, 1998

Harry How/Getty Images

Venue

Olympic Club

Winning Score

E, 280

Winning Margin

1 shot

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Payne Stewart

The first of a three Olympic Club performances to make this list, Janzen was five strokes behind Payne Stewart to begin the day, had some good fortune going for him, and turned that into a stellar round of 68, which was good enough to edge Stewart by a shot.

Janzen was always a good player, but never great. Still, he had an unbelievable knack for showing up big in the majors, as he won two US Opens throughout his career.

This was his first win in three years and the final time he'd win on the tour, major or otherwise. As is often the case, this one is more well known for the collapse of someone else (in this case, Stewart), but that collapse wouldn't have shown up without a rock solid round from Janzen.

If he played a steady even par round of 70, Stewart still would have played a terrible round, but would have walked away with the win.

22. Hale Irwin, 1990

Stephen Munday/Getty Images

Venue

Medinah

Winning Score

-8, 280

Winning Margin

1 shot, in sudden playoff after 18-hole playoff finished in tie

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Mike Donald

Medinah had far from the toughest setup in US Open history this week, but Irwin's final round of 70 was quite spectacular, as he made up four shots on Mike Donald, burying one of the best putts ever on the final hole. While he didn't know it at the time, that 45-foot putt put Irwin in a playoff.

In the playoff, Irwin made up two shots in the final three holes to get to sudden death. When he made birdie in sudden death, Irwin had locked up his third US Open.

This wasn't any ordinary US Open either. Irwin became the first person to win in sudden death, as previous 18-hole playoffs had either ended in 18, or required an additional playoff. Irwin also became the oldest player to ever win a US Open, a record that stands to this day.

21. Lee Trevino, 1971

This playoff began with a somewhat overblown moment between Trevino, Nicklaus, and a rubber snake. But when the play began, it was all business.

Nicklaus did not shoot bad, as a one-over par round in a US Open playoff is often good enough to win, it just wasn't happening on this day. Trevino took an early lead and never relinquished it, completing the playoff with a 68.

It's also worth noting that between the final round and playoff, Trevino beat Nicklaus by five shots, as the Golden Bear was two strokes better than Trevino heading into the final day. By 1971, Nicklaus was undeniably the game's greatest player, so outplaying him by five over 36 holes in a US Open is something to be proud of.

20. Ben Hogan, 1953

Very few years in golf history stack up to what Hogan did in 1953, as he won all three majors that he played in. At the US Open, he was dominant, winning what would be his final national championship.

Figuring out the toughest course in the world is impossible to do without a great debate, but there's no way that debate couldn't include Oakmont, especially when it's being played with 1953 equipment.

In 1953, it played extremely tough for all but one of the players in the field. No other player broke par this week, but Hogan did so with room to spare.

Heading into the back nine, it looked like a duel between old rivals Hogan and Snead. But Snead faltered while Hogan was unflappable, walking away with a six-shot win, tying Bobby Jones and Willie Anderson's record with four US Opens. Jack Nicklaus has since won four, but to this day, nobody has more.

19. Jack Fleck, 1955

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Venue

Olympic Club

Winning Score

+7, 287

Winning Margin

3 shots, in an 18-hole playoff

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Ben Hogan

Something common to the Olympic Club's US Open are upsets, which you should remember if you're in a pool of some sort this week. But while it's certainly possible that a long-shot will win in 2012, it's nearly unthinkable that someone will pull the kind of upset that Fleck pulled in 1955.

In 1955, Fleck was a best a journeyman mini-tour player and Ben Hogan was easily the sport's greatest player. When Hogan finished, he was congratulated for winning the tournament, but nobody told Fleck that it was over. He birdied 15 and 18, forcing a playoff with the Hawk.

Much like the 1971 playoff, Hogan didn't play bad, but Fleck was steady. Hogan made a charge on the back nine, drawing to within one by the time the pair reached the last hole. But Hogan hooked his drive into the rough, making a double-bogey. Fleck made a par, completing a three-stroke win and cementing the tournament's greatest upset since 1913, but more on that later.

18. Billy Casper, 1966

David Cannon/Getty Images

Venue

Olympic Club

Winning Score

-2, 278

Winning Margin

4 shots, in an 18-hole playoff

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Arnold Palmer

Billy Casper showed the benefit of being persistent in 1966, as with nine holes to play, it looked as though he would be the runner up. By the time they reached the 18th hole, Arnold Palmer needed to make a tough up-and-down to force a playoff with Casper. Palmer did convert, but lost the next day's playoff.

Palmer stood on the 10th tee with a seven-shot lead over Casper in a tournament that was basically a match race, as third-place finisher Jack Nicklaus was finished seven strokes behind Palmer and Casper. Palmer had a chance at the US Open scoring record and rather than playing cautious to lock up the tournament, he went for it. The result was a bogey barrage on the back nine.

Meanwhile Casper went along steadily, consistently applying the pressure to the King, shooting a nice round of 68. Nobody else was in sight of them, so if Casper wasn't so steady, Palmer would have easily won another US Open.

In the playoff, Palmer had a two-shot lead on the back nine, but again fell apart. Casper cruised to another clutch round of 69. Again, Palmer's collapse may be what grabbed the headlines, but Casper was rock solid, which didn't allow Palmer any breathing room when he was faltering.

17. John McDermott, 1912

The year before, McDermott became the first American to win his national championship, but this one is just as significant. In 1912, he defended his title, becoming the first champion to break par.

Naturally, in the eras before flight was common, it was difficult for British golfers to go to the United States to play, and vice versa. In 1912, the best players were British and not playing. But McDermott's score would have held up even with the best in the world playing.

Nobody would break par again until 1933.

McDermott's career is one of the greatest "What ifs" in golf history. His career through 1913 was brilliant, but his mental instability ended his career two years later when he was only 23.

16. Tom Kite, 1992

David Cannon/Getty Images

Venue

Pebble Beach

Winning Score

-3, 285

Winning Margin

2 shots

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Jeff Sluman

To give you an idea of what the golfers were facing at Pebble Beach over the weekend, Gil Morgan became the first person to reach 10-under at a US Open, doing so early on Saturday. Before making the turn, he had actually lowered that score to 12-under. Then, the winds hit.

By the end of the tournament, Morgan was a non-factor, not even finishing in the top ten. The lead was at 12-under after Saturday's seventh hole, and finished at three. The conditions were beyond tough.

Kite held up incredibly well over the finish, shooting a 70 on Saturday and an even-par round of 72 on Sunday, winning his first and only major.

Pebble Beach is not unlike the courses that often host the British Open, in that its major defense is the wind. But when the wind blows, it can make the best players in the world look bad.

So, Kite playing four rounds there at level par or better is spectacular. You need to survive in the US Open, and Kite did just that in 1992.

15. Hubert Green, 1977

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Venue

Southern Hills

Winning Score

-2, 278

Winning Margin

1 shot

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Lou Graham

This one doesn't have any moments that really stand out on the course, but it was memorable. Coming off of the 14th green on Sunday, Green was informed that someone had called in threatening his life, saying that people were on their way to kill him.

Green decided to play on, and did so in strong fashion, closing the door on the tournament. As it happened, the call was a hoax, but that was not revealed until after the tournament was over.

14. Jack Nicklaus, 1980

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Venue

Baltusrol

Winning Score

-8, 272

Winning Margin

2 shots

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Isao Aoki

In 1980, Nicklaus appeared to be washed up. He didn't win anything in 1979, and was now 40 years old. By the time they were done at Baltusrol, he had not only tied Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, and Ben Hogan with his fourth title, but set a new scoring record in the process.

Nicklaus held at least a share of the lead after every day of the tournament, firing a 63 in the opening round, which is still tied for the lowest score ever recorded in a major.

Isao Aoki was hot on his trails the whole time, tying him after the second and third rounds, but Nicklaus never faltered. His final round 68 put the tournament away. The scoreboard read "Jack is back" at tournament's end and when he won the PGA later that summer, it was confirmed.

13. Retief Goosen, 2004

When Retief Goosen was in his prime, he was an ice man. At the 2004 US Open, being an ice man came in handy, as it certainly appeared that he was putting on ice all day.

Shinnecock Hills was bone dry all day, only getting drier as the round went on. It was hard to hold greens or get putts anywhere near the hole from any kind of distance once on the green. So, you would think that the man in the final pairing would get the brunt of the course.

Goosen didn't let it show, as his putter was red hot all day. He routinely made par saving putts when it looked like making bogey would be a pretty good accomplishment.

On the 17th green, Mickleson three-putted from short range for a double bogey. In the following group, Goosen had nearly the same putt, but got it down in one shot. The 18th hole lacked a lot of suspense, but Goosen earned that with a phenomenal putting performance all day.

12. Bobby Jones, 1929

Poor Al Espinosa. One moment, it looked like he was going to be the US Open champ. A day later, he had been hit by the truck known as Bobby Jones in his prime.

Jones was staring at a 12-foot putt on the 18th hole in regulation. If he missed it, it would have been a rather epic collapse, as it looked like Jones would win the tournament for most of the day. If he made it, then Jones would be in a 36-hole playoff with Espinosa, who was watching. The putt went in, and it was all Jones from there.

Espinosa never got on track, shooting an 84 on the first 18 holes and an 80 in the second half. Meanwhile Jones was his normal steady self, shooting an even par 72 over the first 18 holes, and then putting it away with a 69 on the second 18.

On one hand, it has to be noted that Espinosa just didn't play well in the playoff. If he did, then this performance would likely be a few slots higher. But Jones never gave him a chance, playing masterful golf at a course that's easily one of the five toughest in the world, never giving Espinosa a chance to get back into the contest.

11. Ken Venturi, 1964

Not unlike Hubert Brown's win, this tournament was more well known for outside circumstances than anything that had to do with golf.

Venturi was not doing a good job handling the heat at Congressional. He was dehydrated after the third round and actually advised to not play the fourth (in those days, the third and fourth rounds were played on the same day).

Venturi bettered Tommy Jacobs by six shots. Despite the constant struggle, the round was never that close, as he won by a comfortable four shots, recording his only career major.

Just to give an indicator of how great the performances to come are, this is still one of the more talked about tournaments, and it doesn't crack the top 10. You'll be reading about nothing but the best of the best from now on.

10. Billy Burke, 1931

Photo Source: USGA.org

Venue

Inverness

Winning Score

+4, 292

Winning Margin

1 shot after two 36-hole playoffs

Second-Place Finisher(s)

George Von Elm

If you're anything like me, you roll your eyes whenever you hear people from an older generation talk about how things were tougher when they were young. Honestly though, this US Open makes it pretty hard to argue that point.

Now, when there's a tie at the end of a US Open, there's an 18-hole Monday playoff. If there's a tie after that, then they go to sudden death. In 1931, a tie at the end of regulation meant a 36-hole playoff. A tie at the end of that meant the participants got to come back the following morning for 36 more holes.

So, Billy Burke and George Von Elm effectively played two US Opens. When they came back the following day, Burke finally prevailed, by a single shot.

If you play golf, you know how much one shot in one round can stick with you. Even in good rounds, we still dwell about the one short putt we missed, or the approach shot we fanned out, missing a wide open green. How many of those shots do you think Von Elm had over the course of eight rounds?

The US Open is the ultimate grind. It generally produces the highest winning score every year, and wears the people out who play in it. Having to play eight rounds defies description. Burke did it and while there have been greater, more iconic performance, nobody ever worked harder to hold that trophy.

9. Tiger Woods, 2008

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Venue

Torrey Pines

Winning Score

-1, 283

Winning Margin

1 shot, in sudden playoff after 18-hole playoff finished in tie

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Rocco Mediate

At this point, a very valid argument could be made that Tiger Woods hurt the rest of his career by trying to win this one, but he made it count. Tiger was playing on a bad knee and after the tournament and elected to have knee surgery, costing him the remainder of the 2008 season.

Rocco Mediate gave Woods everything he could ever want. Mediate was nothing more than a journeyman player, but outplayed Woods for the majority of the tournament. But sparked by an incredible back nine in the third round, Woods held a share of the lead.

By the time Tiger reached the par-five 18th hole, Mediate held a one-shot lead. A birdie would not normally be too much to ask on a short par-five, but Woods was unable to reach in two. Still, he left himself a chance at a birdie, making this putt to force a playoff.

The playoff was a back and forth affair, but Woods made a birdie again on the 18th hole, forcing a sudden death playoff. There, he finally put Mediate away.

Woods did all of this with one leg. To this day, he has never won another major. It was one of the more memorable battles in golf history, and the man challenging Woods was far from a heavyweight.

8. Payne Stewart, 1999

David Cannon/Getty Images

Venue

Pinehurst No. 2

Winning Score

-1, 279

Winning Margin

1 shot

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Phil Mickelson

If you view this tournament through a vacuum, it stands out. Payne Stewart sunk a 15-foot putt to win his second US Open and third major. The man he beat (Phil Mickelson) had never won a major, and had a pager by him all day, as his wife was ready to go into labor at any moment. Adding to that twist was the tradition of the US Open finishing on Father's Day.

But we don't live in a vacuum, so let's take a look at a few other factors that make this moment stand out.

-It was the first of five runner-up finishes at a US Open for Mickelson. He would be denied of any major for five more years before finally winning the 2004 Masters. Through 2011, he has still not won a US Open.

-Mickelson finished in solo second. Finishing one shot behind him were Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods. Through the 2012 Masters, those players have a combined 21 wins in majors.

-Stewart redeemed himself from blowing a four-stroke lead in the final round of the US Open the year before. In 1998, he missed a nearly an identical putt on the final hole to the one he made in 1999.

-Last but certainly not least, Stewart was not able to defend his title in 2000, as he died in October of 1999 in a tragic plane crash.

This entire tournament stands the test of time. Players have been more dominant in US Opens, but nobody has ever been more clutch. Stewart made tough putts on 16, 17 and 18 to win. From both a golf and human perspective, this was one of the best ever played.

7. Rory McIlroy, 2011

Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Venue

Congressional

Winning Score

-16, 268

Winning Margin

8 shots

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Jason Day

This one may seem a little low, especially to the newer fans out there, but it's not. Yes, McIlroy broke the aggregate scoring record, and had the lowest score in relation to par in the history of the tournament.

The problem is that Congressional was just not playing that difficult this week. The course had been watered down, making it much easier for players to hold greens with long irons, something that is virtually impossible in most US Opens. If McIlroy had been a non-factor but everything else remained the same, Jason Day would easily be on this list, as his second place score was one of the best ever carded at a US Open.

Having said that, McIlroy was still phenomenal. There were other low scores, but nobody was anywhere near McIlroy all weekend. When you consider that in the year's previous major, McIlroy suffered an epic meltdown, this performance was remarkable.

The comparative ease of the 2011 tournament keeps McIlroy from threatening the top spot, but this was an epic performance.

6. Ben Hogan, 1950

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Venue

Merion

Winning Score

+7, 287

Winning Margin

4 shots in an 18-hole playoff

Second-Place Finisher(s)

Lloyd Mangrum, George Fazio

Just 16 months before this US Open, Ben Hogan's golf career was irrelevant, as he nearly lost his life in a serious car accident. He had problems walking for the remainder of his career, but was still the best player in the world until the mid-50's.

This was his first major after the car accident and it came the hard way. He was forced to play an 18-hole playoff against Mangrum and Fazio, but came through in the clutch.

Hogan's 69 was easily good enough to claim victory, officially completing his comeback.

5. Johnny Miller, 1973

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Venue

Oakmont

Winning Score

-5, 279

Winning Margin

1 shot

Second-Place Finisher(s)

John Schlee

There are better golfers than Johnny Miller, but nobody has ever been more brilliant over 18 holes. Oakmont had gotten the better of Miller for three rounds, but he struck back in a big way on Sunday. His 63 tied the lowest score in major tournament history (a record that still stands), and was the lowest ever during a final round.

What made this one even more noteworthy is that he needed a 63 to win. A 64 would have been stellar, but would have only been good enough for a playoff, while a 65 would have earned Miller nothing more than a pat on the back.

Miller turned Oakmont into a course that we often see at the beginning of the season, where birdies dominate. He made nine birdies against only one bogey, claiming the US Open, rebounding from a flat 76 the day before.

This is also notable for the golfers Miller beat. While Schlee never got this close to a major again, Tom Weiskopf was one stroke behind him, while the trio of Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus were one behind that. Miller was undaunted by the big names on the board.

4. Arnold Palmer, 1960

This was close to the greatest performance ever, but a few individuals have topped it. But all things considered, this was the greatest US Open ever played.

Heading deep into the back nine, you had the game's past (Ben Hogan), the game's future (Jack Nicklaus), and the game's present (Arnold Palmer) all in realistic contention.

Palmer entered the final round seven shots behind the lead and looked like an afterthought. He put that theory to bed on the first hole when he drove the par-four green and made a birdie. By the end of the seventh hole, he was six-under on his round. Palmer actually played even from that point on, but still won by two.

Think about that for a second. The man entered the final round down seven shots. From the eighth tee to the 18th green, he didn't pick up a single shot to par. When it was over, he won by two shots.

Nicklaus' putter let him down coming home, while Hogan found the water on each of the final two holes. Palmer won the best US Open ever played with a final round that defined his legacy. There have been more accomplished champions, but nobody thrilled the crowds like Palmer. His only US Open win is the epitome of his greatness.

3. Jack Nicklaus, 1962

For the opening two rounds, Nicklaus was paired with Arnold Palmer and the Golden Bear emerged one shot ahead. Palmer evened the score over the next two rounds later, leading to an 18-hole playoff.

Now, there have been plenty of other 18-hole playoffs in the history of the US Open, so what makes this one stand out? In 1962, Arnold Palmer was the man. He was the most popular player in the world, and a close second did not exist. To add to that, this happened to be played in Palmer's native Western Pennsylvania.

The galleries were completely against Nicklaus during the playoff. They did everything they could to disturb Nicklaus (much to the chagrin of Palmer, who was not happy with the gallery), but it made no difference.

Nicklaus badly outplayed Palmer, winning the first of what would be four National Championships and 18 majors. Palmer was still the most popular player in the world and continued to win, but the torch had clearly been passed. Nicklaus won his professional major, going on to become the game's greatest champion.

2. Francis Ouimet, 1913

No event was ever more important to American golf than Francis Ouimet's win at the 1913 US Open.

While John McDermott became the first American to win the National Championship in 1911 (and again in 1912), those wins did not come against the best fields.

The best British golfers (Harry Vardon, Ted Ray) made the trip across the Atlantic in 1913. The man who beat them both in a playoff was not a great American golfer at the time, nor was he to become one. No, Ouimet was a young caddie, who looked the two best golfers in the world in their eyes and beat them convincingly in a playoff.

Making things even better, Ouimet's own caddie was a 10-year-old, Eddie Lowery. There is no way to give this a modern comparison without sounding ridiculous.

The event was simply iconic. If you've seen The Greatest Game Ever Played, then you know the story, although neither Hollywood or myself will ever be able to do it complete justice.

Think about some of the great American players that emerged in the years after 1913. Now, think about the great players (American or otherwise) who may have been influenced by those greats. Had Vardon or Ray taken the trophy home, who knows what ends up happening with those golfers?

1. Tiger Woods, 2000

Yes, Rory McIlroy broke Woods' records in 2011 (both in relation to par and total score), but that overall performance does not compare to what Woods did 11 years earlier.

At Pebble Beach, Tiger was the only golfer to break par. In 2011, 20 golfers were in red numbers, while 38 had a better score in relation to it than Els and Jimenez did in 2000.

Pebble Beach was just a lot more difficult than Congressional. Woods simply mastered that course, looking like the guy on the Little League team that really belongs about two levels above where he's playing. That was Woods all throughout 2000, and it was never more apparent than at this tournament.

After one round, Woods had a one-shot lead. After two, it was six and the normally grueling 36 holes that is the US Open's final two rounds were nothing more than a victory lap.

You never want to say never in sports, but if you're alive 100 years from now, this performance will still likely rank as not only the best US Open, but the best ever seen on any golf course.